Paper storage unit



July 26, 1960 T. LOWTHER I 2,946,635

PAPER STORAGE UNIT Filed Oct. 25, 1957 W F F I: I: I I I I 51::- 25 g INVENTOR. 7 Ho vms lo 7a a r States Patent C) PAPER STORAGE UNIT Thomas Lowther, 1331 E. 289th St., Wicklilfe, Ohio EiledOct. 25, 1957, Set. N0. 692,398

3 Claims. (Cl. 312,39)

This invention relates to paper storage means, and particularly to a unit designed to support and provide for ready access to sensitized paper such as is used in the photo reproduction of any one of several processes, of various kinds of tracings, drawings and othertranslucent material.

it should be initially understood that one of the primary problems involved in making available for use sensitized paper, is to provide a sensitized paper in sheet form under many circumstances, and also in roll form under certain circumstances in a position where the same is available to the operator of the reproducing machine, and in such a manner as will readily facilitate the use of such paper by the operator, so as to eliminate in most cases the necessity for constant movement to and from the machine to obtain supplies of paper from a source which is usually a cabinet structure of substantial size.

One of the problems involved in supplying a unit of this type is to overcome the necessity tolocate a large cabinet in a position which would be unhandy and in this particular instance this is overcome by providing a portable unit, relatively speaking, which is located so as to be readily accessible and yet be out of the way of the operation of a reproducing machine.

Since the use of sensitized paper in the instance of most copying methods is necessary, it is a necessity to 2 quired, and by appropriate arrangement 'of the respective elements, facilitate the screening out of light from the interior of the unit in which the paper is stored prior to and during use.

Another object of this invention is to provide a paper storage unit which involves the formation of elongated compartments, wherein the paper in sheet form may be eliminate undue exposure of the sensitized paper just prior to, or for any period of time prior to use, it is readily apparent and the problem is solved by the use of the unit of this invention.

While the said paper storage unit is primarily intended for use with sensitized paper, obviously other types of paper may be used even in diiferent kinds of machines, and the unit will also find a useful place in such machine operation.

In view of the foregoing it is a principal object of this invention to provide a portable paper storage unit wherein paper may be stored in sheets and in rolls, and made accessible for use by a photo copying machine of one type or another at the machine without the necessity for exposing any substantial quantity of paper to light prior to use.

A further object of this invention is to provide a portable storage unit of the class described, wherein paper may be stored so as to be accessible a sheet at a time, obviously enhancing the improvement by reason of the fact that a substantial quantity is always available and sheets are accessible one after the other.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide for the storage of a roll of paper, whereby said paper may be withdrawn continuously as needed, where the copying of a long sheet is to be undertaken and yet the roll of paper is similarly protected as the sheets to prevent undue exposure to light prior to use.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a paper storage unit of the class described, wherein both sheets and roll sensitized paper may be stored, said unit providing for accessibility of single sheets, the roll as restored on edge so as to be accessible from the upper edge one sheet at a time, the cover being provided for the portions inwhich the sheets are stored, so as to prevent the admittance of light thereinto when the cover is closed, and the cover in turn being adapted to support a roll of paper therein whereby such paper is readily accessible for use. During storage when the paper' is not being used, the unit may be completely closed and light screened therefrom.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a paper storage unit wherein the cover thereof, involving as it does a storage place for rolled paper, likewise is useable for supporting a sheet in roll form which is to be copied, suitable means being provided to prevent the roll of sheet to be copied from falling to the floor or other place and unrolling so as to be unwieldlyin handling.

A further and also important object of the invention is to provide a storage unit of the class described wherein the portions thereof which are intended to provide for storing of sheets are arranged so as to be covered when not in use, the portion wherein the roll is stored being accessible, suitable flexible means being provided for effecting the desired covering and screening out of light. Other and further objects of this invention will be understood from a consideration of the specification appended hereto and shown in the drawing wherein:

:Figure l is a front view on'a substantially reduced scale, showing the'unit of this invention in its usual position and certain portions of the same being broken away so as to illustrate fragmentarily the inner construction thereof and means for supporting paper therein.

Figure 2 is a view taken from the end of Figure 1, and in section showing the storage compartments and the cover position when in dotted lines as being open.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken about on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view showing the manner of connection of a flexible covering with the edges of the wall structure.

Referring now to the drawing, the paper storage unit of this invention comprises a generally elongated cabinet structure including by way of preferred example, a pair of sheet paper holders indicated at 1 and 2, the unit 1 being in rear of the unit 2, unit 2 being comprised largely of the generally U-shaped portion including a rear wall 3 and a front wall 4, the rear wall 3 being somewhat higher in extent than the wall 4, the walls being connected at their lowermost portions by a slanting bottom 5. The sheet paper holder 1 is in this instance comprised of a rear wall 6 and a bottom slanting wall 7, the wall 7 extending forwardly and abutting with, and being fixed to, the rear wall 3 of the holder 2 whereby a holder of similar form to the holder 2 is supplied. y

The end walls for the holders 1 and 2 are comprised of channel like members as seen in Figure 3, including the member 8 at one end and the member 9 at the, other, which members 8 and 9 include the flanges10 and 11 thereon respectively, such flanges 10 and 11 b eing*designed to extend some distance along the walls 4 and 6 support members 12 and 13 respectively, which members Patented Jul ze; 1960 as seen in Figure 2 are generally U-shaped in cross section, although inverted as will be readily apparent. Within the U-shaped confines of the units 12 and 13 are suitable fixed casters such as 14, the wheels of the casters 14 extending slightly lower than the lowermost edges of the members 12 and 13 as seen in Figure 2. Thus when the unit as a whole is desired to be moved, by simply balancing the same on the fixed casters 14 the same may be transferred or otherwise located in respect to a machine or other place of use.

The cover unit generally designated 15 is provided, and arranged so as to cover the open upper ends of both of the holders 1 and 2, the said cover member being formed so as to have a rather long forward side 16 and a somewhat shorter rear side 17 connected by a top member 18 extending therebetween, the members 17, 18 and 16 being preferably one piece, as will be readily apparent and formed by bending the same.

The cover 15 is fastened by a series of hinges such as 20 at the upper end of the wall 4, the lower end of the wall 16 at such cover member being fastened to the hinges, and thereby the cover 15 as a whole may be swung into the dotted line position shown in Figure 2. Obviously end walls such as 21 will be provided for the cover 15 so as to form a complete inclosure for a roll of sensitized paper such as indicated at 22. The paper may be supported by a rod such as 23 extending from between the walls 21 and through suitable openings therein, a wing nut 24 being provided as a means for securing the rod in place against movement, in conjunction with a cotterpin such as 25 at the other end of the rod 23.

While it will be apparent that sheets of paper of one width or height, as the case may be, may be supported in the holder 1, paper of different width or height as the case may be is adapted to be supported in the holder such as 2. The paper is of course intended to be supported on edge and, by reason of the arrangement of the bottoms and 7 of the holders, the individual sheets of paper will be readily accessible for withdrawal from the holders as is necessary during use of the paper holder unit.

Now in order to obviate the admission of light where possible and reduce the amount during use and when the cover 15 of the unit is in the dotted line position of Figure 2, suitable flexible material is provided, the material for the unit 1 being fastened beneath the lip 26 formed at the upper end of the wall 3, and crimped in such a manner as to grasp the material 27 and maintain the same in position. Thus the material may be draped as shown-in Figure 2 over the upper ends of the paper standing in the holder 1 and screen out light therefrom. A similar connection of flexible covering 28 of the front or forward holder 2 is likewise effected, and the cover 28 of course may be draped over the upper ends of paper supported in the holder 2 when the said paper is not being used.

A similar flexible cover such as 29 may be provided for the cover 15 and similarly attached to the wall 17 thereof.

Suitably fastened to the lower edge or the lip of the wall 17 may be a series of cars such as 30, in this case there being three of the same shown, for use in conjunction with operation of the unit as will now be set forth.

Assuming that it is desired to use the paper storage unit of this invention in conjunction with a photo copying machine of one type or another, the same may be positioned in respect to the bench or table of such machine indicated at A in Figure 2, this being the end edge of such table as will be understood, and thereafter the cover 15 is swung into the dotted line position shown in said figure. Obviously the flexible covering 27 may be swung back so as to make the sheets standing in the holder 1 available, and the sheets withdrawn therefrom one at a time as required by the tracing or other material which is being copied, and fed into the copying machine over the table A.

Since, as will be readily understood, holders 1 and 2 may support several different sizes of paper therein, standing alongside of one another in their upright edgewise position, a suitable sheet may be selected for each particular tracing being copied. Where the sheets in the holder 2 are required, the covering 28 may be turned back so as to make such sensitized sheets available for use, the sheets in the holder 1 having been perhaps covered up in the meantime so as to reduce the light exposure thereto.

Under some circumstances where it is necessary to make copies of tracings or the like for which no cut sheets are available, the roll paper 22 may be resorted to and a suitable length thereof withdrawn from the roll and fed into the machine after being cut or otherwise manipulated on the table A. Under some circumstances where a very long tracing is desired to be copied, the same may be placed in the roll position indicated at B in Figure 2 in dotted lines, and supported partially at least on the cars 30 provided and extending outwardly from the wall 17 of the cover 15. Thus as the tracing is unrolled from the position of B, paper from the roll 22 may likewise be unrolled until such time as suflicient has been accumulated to permit cutting the same off, both the sensitized paper and tracing being fed through the machine as will be readily apparent.

When the device is to be out of use for any length of time, the cover 15 will obviously be moved into the full line position of Figure 2 and thus light will be excluded from the interior of the unit as a whole, and the particular respective holder sections 1, 2 and the cover 15 as will be clearly understood.

The provision of the holders 1 and 2 of course en ables the storage of a substantial supply at the place where the said supply is used, namely the table A of the copying machine and the said holders may be replenished 1 from time to time with substantial stock, obviating the necessity for the operator to go to the main storage for obtaining a group or supply and possibly repeating such motion.

It has been found in actual practice, by use of the storage unit hereof, that the increase in copying produc tion is about 20 to 25 percent, depending upon the size and the material being copied. It has also been found that the ability of this unit to store a substantial quantity of cut sheets without the necessity for constantly replacing them from the main storage, has further increased the obvious desirability of a unit of this type. Of course the fact that a roll of sensitized paper may be stored in the cover is a substantial advantage, since it is less unwieldy to handle and will likewise further increase the productive capacity of the operator.

I claim:

1. In a paper storage unit of the class described, in combination, a first sheet paper holder formed to support sheets of paper with edge portions uppermost and in a manner to be grasped singly thereby, a second paper holder like that described adjacent the first mentioned, paper therein being generally parallel to paper in the first holder, means to support the holders as a unit and assist in retaining paper therein, and a single cover for said unit comprising a member arranged to completely cover and screen light from such exposed paper edges referred to, said paper holders comprising narrow, elongated pocket-like members, the bottoms of which are angularly connected to the spaced sides, such bottoms constituting support means for sheet paper in the holders, the cover is hingedly connected adjacent the upper edge of one of said sides, the cover thereby being swingable over the upper portions of the pocket-like members into a position to close such members and thereby enclose the contents thereof, said cover further being a relatively wide, elongated pocket-like member, said cover likewise providing a support for rolled paper therein and the closing of said cover effecting a screening of light from such rolled paper, in conjunction with the paper holders aforesaid, the hinge arrangement being such as to facilitate movement of the cover into open position and withdrawal of paper from a roll therein in a continuous manner if desired, to the same general area as may be eifected in Withdrawal of sheets of paper in the narrow pocketlike members described.

2. In a paper storage unit of the class described, in combination, a first sheet paper holder formed to support sheets of paper with edge portions uppermost and in a manner to be grasped singly thereby, a second paper holder like that described adjacent the first mentioned, paper therein being generally parallel to paper in the first holder, said holders being pocket-like members, means to support the holders as a unit and assist in retaining paper therein, and a single cover for said unit comprising a member arranged to completely cover and screen light from such exposed paper edges referred to, said cover likewise providing a support for rolled paper therein and the closing of said cover efiecting a screening of light from such rolled paper, in conjunction with the paper holders aforesaid, all of said pocket-like members being provided with flexible light screening cover elements, separately positionable over paper in the same to facilitate withdrawal of paper from one at a time without exposing that in the other.

3. In a paper storage unit of the class described, in combination, a first sheet paper holder formed to-support sheets of paper with edge portions uppermost and in a manner to be grasped singly thereby, a second paper holder like that described adjacent the first mentioned, paper therein being generally parallel to paper inthe first holder, means to support the holders as a unit and assist in retaining paper therein, and a single cover for said unit comprising a member arranged to completely cover and screen light from such exposed paper edges referred to, said cover likewise providing a support for rolled paper therein and the closing of said cover eifecting a screening of light from such rolled paper, in conjunction with the paper holders aforesaid, the cover being provided with ears extending from the edge at the rear side thereof, to facilitate unrolling a tracing or the like supported on said cover in open position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 806,200 Sims Dec. 5, 1905 1,138,488 Kime May 4, 1915 1,386,717 Luckett et a1 Aug. 9, 1921 2,549,433 Curry Apr. 17, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 619,613 Germany Oct. 4, ;1935 

